ED2012 Theatre Review: I Shall Be Remembered – The Story Of Madame de Pompadour (Heritage Productions)

An unfortunate title for a play that is so forgettable. Famous eighteenth century courtesan Madame de Pompadour sits in her boudoir telling us her life story from beginning to end, and it’s quite soothing, but bland; the controversial aspects of her life are not condemned or defended but brushed over, and the character lacks depth. We don’t feel sympathy for or dislike her; she just is. The show lacks any real drama, and even the events of the Seven Years’ War seems to have all the impact of a fight in a pub. The stage is simply too big for the intimacy of the piece, and an eventful life is made to seem rather dull.